Back on January 22, the Baltimore School Board voted unanimously to forbid Baltimore School Police officers from carrying weapons. Of course, what could possibly go wrong with that kind of misguided thinking, right? After all, the Baltimore Schools CEO Sonja Santelises proudly proclaims that “confrontation and weapons have no place” in her schools.
Somehow, though, wishful thinking and magic symbols didn’t keep confrontation or guns out of Baltimore schools. Not even a month later, a family member of a student walked into a Baltimore public school and shot a special education assistant.
Gunfire erupted Friday in the lobby of Frederick Douglass High School in Baltimore, a rare incident inside city schools, leaving a 56-year-old staff member seriously injured and a 25-year-old man in police custody.
Neil Davis entered the school shortly after noon and shot a special education assistant, police said. The staff member, identified by district officials as Michael Marks, was in serious but stable condition Saturday and undergoing treatment at the Maryland Shock Trauma Center. The alleged shooter is a family member of a Douglass student, police said.
Meanwhile, the “Charm City” school cops had nothing to use against the attacker except charm, stern warnings and harsh language.
Following the violent incident at one of their schools, the Baltimore School Board has found religion. They voted to reverse their earlier unanimous support of disarmed police and voted 8-2 to allow their cops to carry after all.
The only question lefty is why two of the board’s members still believe that cops should remain disarmed.
From the Baltimore Sun:
Two weeks after a shooting in a Baltimore high school, the city’s school board reversed its position on whether school police should be allowed to carry weapons, voting 8-2 in support of legislation that would amend state law to authorize officers to patrol schools with guns.
The board’s decision comes a month after the 10 members voted unanimously against the idea of arming school police officers. The dramatic shift could provide a needed boost to state Del. Cheryl Glenn’s proposed legislation in Annapolis. Even if the board hadn’t thrown its support behind the bill, Glenn had said she would’ve continued to push for change after the recent shooting at Frederick Douglass High School.
Neil Davis, a 25-year-old family member of a student, came into Douglass on Feb. 8 and shot special education assistant Michael Marks, according to police. The 56-year-old longtime staffer was seriously injured but survived.
Wishful thinking and magic spells won’t stop bad people intent on hurting innocents.
The only thing that stops bad guys with evil in their hearts is a good guy with a gun. Even in Charm City, USA.